Concerning your comments below:
I might agree that some conservatives/Republicans may see Democrats/liberals
as being less Christian than themselves, not that I do, but I must point out
that this thread and apparent need to involve politics into theology was
started by a liberal. It would seem to me that the entire point of the so
called "list" of fundamentalists was to make the point that conservatives
are less forgiving and therefore less Christian. One's politics and
religious beliefs are between God and the individual alone. If one believes
in homosexuality or abortion, that is for them to explain to God not I. What
I believe is judged by God alone. Being less of a Christian is not the
issue. Being a Christian which tries to follow what they believe God and
Christ would want is. If we do things that we know God does not want us to
do, either individually or as a society, just because we feel that we are
saved, we will doom ourselves and those we touch. Each individuals action
has an affect on everyone else's life. Some may think that being homosexual,
killing our unborn, not allowing prayer in schools, etc may be accepted by
God, but then the same people who believe this are the ones recently saying
that perhaps the Islamic terrorists had a reason for 9/11. They hate our
government policies. It is our religion and more particularly our so called
religious acceptance (forgive all) that they hate. Until we understand that
our "liberalism" is what is destroying us, we will end up just like the
Greeks and Romans. Some may have heard of the recent beauty pageant
contestant that was rejected because she promoted abstenace instead of "safe
sex". She of course did not say to have safe sex, but rather that not having
in the first place is the safest sex. It amazes me how liberals have no
problem with violating the First Amendment when it suites them, but them
turn around and scream about their rights when it comes to having computer
generated children in the nude or engaged in sexual conduct. That does not
mean we need to condemn or banish those that do these things. Forgive one
another but only if they are repentant. If one cannot accept for themselves
that they have done wrong, no one, not even God can forgive them, for they
cannot forgive themselves in their own hearts. If someone were repeatedly
engaging in "actual" sex with a minor, would anyone on this list say it was
ok? Why? Where in the Bible does it say it's wrong? The OT? Well according
to some on the list, the OT is OLD and things like homosexuality, women's
rights, etc are outdated and wrong. OK. Well then I suppose murder, child
rape and other such things are ok. Point is we can make the Bible read as we
like, but each of us must ask ourselves in our hearts what is right. If one
can walk into a church, open a Bible and say to God, "Thank you Lord for
giving such a great day. Today I killed my unborn son and I feel great." If
not then they should look within themselves and the Bible for guidance.
Let's quit looking for acceptance of others and groups. We want to be
accepted so bad, but we want to take the easy road. Rather than changing to
fit what we know is right, we want everyone else to accept our faults. The
only one we must answer to is GOD.

Don Perrett

>>>>>I understand Terry's misgivings about what he sees in Burgy's list as a
conflation of politics with theology, but I think there is some merit in
Burgy's doing so in the context of some expressions of American-style
Christianity. Unfortunately, there are many fundamental believers in the US
who have done just that--conflated the two: they have politicized their
theology and theologized their politics. The moral-theological positions of
some on abortion, homosexuality, school prayer, gun control, and YEC are so
often articulated in political terms, that one wonders if it is possible for
some now to separate them in their minds. I saw a bumper sticker here in
Boone recently that reflects this: "Christian--and a Democrat!" This
person obviously felt the need to make the point that you don't have to be a
Republican in order to be a "true Christian."

This politico-theology phenomenon is not confined to fundamental Christians
of the Protestant variety. An elderly Catholic woman reported during the
2000 election that she received a letter from her priest, who noticed the
"Vote Democrat" bumper sticker on her auto and informed her that he would
not administer communion to her if she was going to vote with the
abortionists. She was outraged, of course (she opposes abortion), but the
anecdote illustrates the extent to which some go on such matters.

As for dispensationalist theology, thanks to the phenomenal success of the
Left Behind movement, it seems to me that there are many conservative
Christians who are buying this theology without realizing what it is. From
what I have read of LaHaye's work there is a clear political agenda wedded
to his dispensationalism.